Soldiers stay in touch with new post Internet provider

Photo By Sgt. Rob Cooper | Pvt. 1st Class Sylvester McGhee, a driver with the 296th Transportation Company, surfs the net using Camp Atterbury's new Internet service. The pay-to-use, wired Ethernet service is designed to allow Soldiers who are mobilizing or demobilizing to get access to the Internet on their personal computers, rather than using the limited connectivity of the post's standard Internet service provider.
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CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

08.20.2009

CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind. — Mobilizing Soldiers hoping to stay in touch with their loved ones back home now have a better way to do so here with the recent inclusion of a new Internet service provider.

The Alternate Escapes Network, which is provided by the Army Recreation Machine Program, offers Soldiers preparing for or returning from deployments here access to the Internet for an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly fee. Proceeds from the program are then given to the Army's Morale, Welfare and Recreation program. All Soldiers need is a personal computer that includes an Ethernet data port.

Sgt. 1st Class Marlynn McDaniel, the installation's information technology systems support chief, said the service, which is offered here at the Camp Atterbury USO and The House Café/All Ranks Club, allows Soldiers more flexibility than the previous post ISP provided.

"The primary function of our current ISP is to provide mobilizing Soldiers from other state connectivity to the Internet," he said. "So, for example, a guy from Guam can come in, plug into the ISP and dial into his own network back home."

However, the current or regular ISP is also designed to support training operations on post, McDaniel said, which limits the Soldiers to what Web sites they can view. Those sites have firewalls which block access to around 400 sites. The sites include most of the popular social networks, entertainment Web sites, even streaming video such as Youtube.com.

"Per regulation, I've blocked most of the personal Web sites such as Myspace and Facebook, which you can now access through the new MWR-provided network," McDaniel said.

The new service also frees up available network bandwidth on the post's ISP, which in turn allows for more bandwidth to conduct official business rather than net surfing, McDaniel said. "When the 85th Division was mobilizing through here [in 2006], so many people were on our ISP that there was little to no bandwidth in order to accommodate them," he said.

Most importantly, though, is the ability for Soldiers to communicate with friends and family during a deployment, said Sgt. 1st Class Doug Williamson, the head of the post's MWR operations. "This gives them better access to their loved ones back home," he said. "So far, several Soldiers have taken advantage of the service. Everyone seems to like it."

One Soldier taking advantage of the new ISP was Pvt. Thomas Yohn, a member of the 296th Transportation Company. While in between training to prepare for deployment to Iraq, Yohn and his buddy, Pvt. 1st Class Sylvester McGhee, purchased a day's worth of connectivity to shop for shoes and surf the popular classifieds Web site Craigslist.com.

"It's just like using the other computers [offered at the USO], but I don't have to wait 20 minutes to use it," said McGhee. "Plus, I can use my own computer, so that makes it easier and more convenient for me."

For more information on rates and how to use the Alternate Escapes Network, contact the Camp Atterbury MWR at (812)526-1142.